9 things we’ve learned about filming X-Men: Days of Future Past from the stars

Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy share stories from the set of the latest superhero flick

Wolverine, Magneto and Professor X aka Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy have been sharing stories from behind-the-scenes on X-Men: Days of Future Past.

From feeling old to close shaves with those Wolverine blades, the three actors dish on life on the X-Men set to Graham Norton. Here’s nine things we learned…

1. Jackman was called Woolfie on set. “There was no end to the disrespect,” he jokes.

2. Hugh Jackman’s wife has a "really serious crush" on James McAvoy.

3. Nicholas Hoult (aka Beast) made Jackman feel really old, admitting he remembers watching him from when he was “eight years old”. “I said ‘Stop right there, no more stories’,” Jackman reveals. “I felt like everyone’s uncle. I did feel like the old man.”

4. McAvoy, on the original cast teaming up with the new cast, says he chose to ignore that anyone else (ie. Patrick Stewart) had played the part of Professor X. “Even when I was going face to face with him I was still trying to pretend it was only ever me that had played the part.”

5. Fassbender on the other hand says he “stole everything” from his predecessor Sir Ian McKellen. “I actually didn’t get to do a scene with him but I spent a lot of time watching him on YouTube giving a workshop on Shakespeare and on The Scottish Play. It was weird, but I just listened to that on a loop.”

6. It takes Jackman a minimum of six months to get into shape for the part of Wolverine.

7. Fassbender reveals that Jackman gets up at 4:30am every day to go to the gym. “His discipline is incredible… when we arrived there was a ‘Jackman effect’ and we all started training to try and keep up.”

8. Being naked on screen didn’t bother Jackman. “It’s a very freeing feeling.”

9. Although, Jackman did have a close shave with his blades once. “There was a very intense first scene and I insisted on a closed set. I ran round the corner and all the female members of the crew were gathered there. I tried to cover myself and cut my inner thigh – it was just the inner thigh thankfully! The metal claws had to go – you can’t have bits and pieces flying off.”